The History of AVA International
How did it all start?
2021
The Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit was conceived in 2021. After surveying more than 60 key stakeholders, movement leaders, and major funders, there was an overwhelming consensus: It was time to produce a modern, professional, diverse, and impact-oriented overarching conference for farmed animal, wild animal, and vegan advocates.
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Because uniting the movement, reducing infighting, and strengthening cross-organizational connections is crucial for creating systemic change.
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Because a professional flagship conference elevates the reputation of our whole movement.
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Because it empowers advocates from the Global Majority and neglected regions by increasing their visibility and providing a platform for learning and networking opportunities.
Sebastian Joy, Co-Founder and President of ProVeg International, kickstarted what became the AVA Summit in close collaboration with Dawn Moncrief, Founder and President of A Well-Fed World, and Meghan O'Brien Lowery, Director and Partner of the Greenbaum Foundation. All three provided and continue to provide invaluable guidance and support, and they played an absolutely crucial role in getting AVA off the ground.
2023
In 2023, the AVA US event became even bigger, more diverse, and more international with 215 organizations working directly in the movement and over 750 attendees from 47 different countries.
In the same year, AVA cooperated with Asia for Animals to create the first in-person conference for farmed animal advocates in Southeast Asia: Asia Farm Animal Day.
2022
Michael Webermann, at that time US Executive Director of ProVeg International, and Sebastian created, branded, and co-founded the Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit, and it is thanks to their dedication, knowledge, and reputation, that the Summit immediately became the go-to for advocates working or wanting to work in our movement professionally.
Michael built the roots of the project together with Amanda Cramer, President and Principle Planner of Amanda Cramer Events, who also created the first LEAD for Farmed Animals workshop at that time.
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Shortly after, Sebastian brought on Julia Reinelt — who had previously created the New Food Conference, built up the first incubator for alternative protein startups, and worked on strategic planning, impact evaluation, and organizational development — to lead the AVA team and grow the events internationally.
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The inaugural AVA Summit 2022 in the US met all its primary goals, being the largest movement event since before the pandemic, being substantially more international than any previous similar event, and having an increased focus on the most neglected animals.
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2024
While ProVeg provided full fiscal sponsorship and operational support to ensure AVA was top quality from the start, it was decided that AVA should spin off in 2024 to be its own independent organization in light of its immediate success, popularity, and growth potential. All AVA events are now being organized by the US-based nonprofit organization Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) International.
The organization is overseen and led by Julia Reinelt (Board Chair & Executive Director), Michael Webermann (Board Secretary), and Flavia D'Erasmo (Board Treasurer) and works with event-specific Advisory Committees consisting of experienced movement representatives who facilitate decision-making, provide current knowledge, diverse perspectives, critical thinking, and analysis.
